WATCHWORD:
18Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: 19 Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 20 Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” Matthew 18-20
6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:6-9
Meditation:
The Christmas Letter
Christmas letters. Family traditions. It’s that time of year when many of us turn our attention to a narrative of family life that is included with Christmas cards to family and friends. Stories of family events, accomplishments of the kids, all the news of family life shared with love and best wishes.
Digging into my files, the earliest Christmas letter I could find was dated 1972. I know we did not write a letter every year, usually driven by events and circumstance of family life. Nevertheless, each was a record of God’s guidance in the lives of this family.
I wonder if this tradition of Christmas letters has faded or if we have changed, maybe as a result of what has happened in our lives over the past few years. Have we forgotten the power of the Christmas letter, as a means of keeping and deepening the friendship within the family and our close circle of friends? I wonder.
As I write this, I have four such letters before me. Three of mine and one a friend has shown me when she knew I was writing on the subject of the Christmas letter. As divergent as the four are, there is woven through each one, between the lines or on the lines themselves, trust in the Lord, through expressions of gratitude and thankfulness.
I read about the harshness of life, of cancer, Parkinson’s, lung disease, and mistakes made that resulted in addiction or, in one case, prison. Then there are those moments to be celebrated; successful surgeries and treatments, High school graduations, being accepted into college, the birth of a grandchild, and many other events and happenings, all praise-worthy.
One letter spoke of difficult times, but concluded with “God was showing us that we needed to be together everyday to make it work”. Another called the difficult times and adverse happenings of the year “weird” and summed it up by expressing their love of the Lord.
Tears came when I read again a direct quote from my wife, an expression of gratitude to the Lord for everything in her life life, just weeks before she passed into arms of Jesus, bring an end a five year illness.
Yes, life and times recorded in Christmas letters to family and friends, each one saying ‘we love you and we want you to know how our life and family has been this past year, and how the presence of the Lord is valued beyond measure.’ A Christmas letter in e-mail or a text? Why not? The story is the same and you have time to spread some love. Take a deep breath, say a little prayer, and share your life with those you love.
The Christmas letter, planting seeds as Jesus has instructed. Declaring our gratitude and faith to others, thus making disciples, also one of Jesus’ commands. Paper and ink, even the wifi, used as a way of loving others as Jesus has loved us. It’s that time of year? Make that, it’s always that time of year. Amen.
Bulletin Board:
There will be a Special Watchword on Christmas Day, my gift to you. A beautiful true story worth sharing to children, family and friends. May it brighten this special day. Merry Christmas to you.
Christmas Prayer:
[Borrowed from one of the four Blessed Family Christmas Letters.]
This Christmas my family’s prayer for you and for your family is hope and peace. I know there are some of us spending our first Christmas without a loved one, whom we are missing so very very much. Some of us are spending still another Christmas without our loved one that departed us long ago and yet the pain and loss is still so present. Some of us are seeing the state of the world and wondering, God, where are you? Some of us have financial burdens, addiction issues, illness, depression, loneliness and hopelessness. Within our family these issues are real for we have experienced them. We are praying that our precious Lord and Savior Will come into your heart and give you peace. We pray that we all remember what Christmas is about. God came to the earth in the form of His son, born of a virgin and died on the cross for our sins and raised to sit at the right-hand of the Father — our forgiveness at a cost. Let us remember even within our own pain that we have the hope and peace of our Lord above. That is something to celebrate and give our thanks for. Love and blessings to all with hope and God’s peace. Amen.
